Court freezes Patience Jonathan’s N350m

A Federal High Court in Lagos on Tuesday ordered temporary forfeiture of N350 million found in the account of a limited liability company AM-PM Global Network Limited, for being proceeds of enrichment derived by the wife of former President, Patience Jonathan when she was Permanent Secretary appointed by the Bayelsa State Government.

The order of the court was as a result of an ex -parte application filed and argued before the court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) legal officer, Rotimi Oyedepo.

According to an affidavit in support of the application sworn to by EFCC investigating officer, Musbahu Yahaya, the deponent averred that he was one of the investigating officers assigned to investigate the damning intelligence report received by the commission against AM-PM Global Company. He said that the company was in possession of proceeds of unlawful act and retain same in its account attached.

Yahaya averred further that between 20th of June, 2012 and 15th of November, 2013, the company fraudulently received a total sum of N1,206,950,000 into its Diamond bank Account number 0026718889 being proceeds of unlawful enrichment derived by Mrs Dame Patience Jonathan who was then Permanent Secretary appointed by the Bayelsa State Government.

In a bid to dissipate the funds, the company opened another account with Stanbic IBTC and out of the alleged proceeds of unlawful enrichment of Mrs Dame Patience Jonathan, the company transferred the total sum of N350 million from its account in Diamond bank to the account in Stanbic IBTC PLC in a desperate bid to dissipate the funds.

Consequently, the court was urged to issue an order freezing the account of the company domiciled in Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc.

In his ruling, the Presiding Judge, Hadizat Shagari, ordered the Manager of Stanbic IBTC to in the interim freeze the funds in the said account pending the determination of the investigation and possible prosecution of this case.